1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid supply device comprising a liquid container configured to be mounted to a mounting portion comprising a stopper, an image printing apparatus comprising such a liquid supply device, and such a liquid container.
2. Description of Related Art
A known image printing apparatuses is configured to print images on a sheet of paper using ink. The image printing apparatuses has an ink-jet print-head configured to selectively eject ink droplets from nozzles of the print-head toward the sheet of paper. A desired image is printed on the sheet of paper when the ink droplets land on the sheet of paper. The image printing apparatuses has a liquid container which contains ink to be supplied to the print-head. One example of the liquid container is a liquid cartridge, which is configured to be inserted into and removed from a mounting portion provided in the image printing apparatus. A liquid cartridge storing ink is also referred to as an ink cartridge.
When the ink cartridge runs out of ink, the ink cartridge is removed from the mounting portion of the image printing apparatus, and a new ink cartridge having ink stored therein is mounted to the mounting portion. The mounting portion has a locking structure configured to lock or retain the ink cartridge in a specific position in the mounting portion. The mounting portion also has an urging member configured to urge the ink cartridge positioned in the mounting portion in a direction in which the ink cartridge is removed from the mounting portion when the ink cartridge is locked or retained by the locking structure. When a user intends to removed the ink cartridge from the mounting portion, the ink cartridge is released from the locked state, and the ink cartridge moves toward the outside of the mounting portion with a force applied by the urging member.
Accordingly, a user is allowed to readily remove the ink cartridge from the mounting portion. When the ink cartridge is moved with a great force, the ink cartridge may jump out of the mounting portion. If the ink cartridge jumps out of the mounting portion, the ink cartridge may fall down and contact a surface, and the impact of contacting the surface may cause the ink stored in the ink cartridge to splash out. The cartridge also may be broken when the ink cartridge contacts the surface.
A known mounting portion has a structure for preventing the ink cartridge from jumping out of the mounting portion. More specifically, the mounting portion has a resiliently deformable claw hook, and the claw hook is configured to engage an edge of an engaging recess formed in a bottom surface of an ink cartridge when the ink cartridge moves toward the outside of the mounting portion. With this engagement, the ink cartridge is prevented from jumping out of the mounting portion.
The engagement between the ink cartridge and the claw hook is intended when the ink cartridge is removed from the cartridge mounting portion. However, when the ink cartridge is inserted into the mounting portion, this engagement may generate a force against the insertion operation of the ink cartridge, and may impair an operational feeling.